Australian No 1 Falls Short in Fourth Round at Wimbledon
On a sweltering day at Wimbledon, where several spectators required medical attention due to the heat, Australia's hopes also diminished. Alex de Minaur, the Australian No 1 and world No 6, entered No 1 Court with aspirations of reaching at least his first grand slam semi-final but was defeated by Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 in the fourth round.
De Minaur struggled to keep pace with Cobolli’s aggressive and vibrant attacking style, appearing too cautious and lacking the necessary spark. His first serve was inconsistent, which further hindered his performance as Australia’s last remaining singles player in the tournament.
Despite opportunities, de Minaur was unable to capitalize. He held a 5-2 lead in the second set but ultimately lost it in a tie-break. In the third set, he twice gained a break advantage but failed to convert these into a decisive lead.
Wimbledon’s No.1 Court can become an airless environment on hot days, which theoretically should have favored de Minaur, who had spent significantly less time on court during the first week—six-and-a-half hours compared to Cobolli’s ten-and-a-half. However, mentally, the Florentine appeared fresher, buoyed by his recent run to the French Open final. In contrast, de Minaur seems to be grappling with a pattern of fading as grand slam tournaments reach their critical stages.
The draw had opened up favorably for de Minaur, with a wildcard opponent awaiting in the quarter-finals or veteran Grigor Dimitrov, while top contenders Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic were in the opposite half.
Match Details and Key Moments
The first set was characterized by both players’ first serves landing below 50%. De Minaur survived a break point in his opening service game but missed two opportunities to gain a 40-15 lead on Cobolli’s serve. At 5-5, de Minaur found himself at love-40 but saved all three break points. Nevertheless, Cobolli forced another break point and converted it.
De Minaur needed an immediate break back, but Cobolli won a 39-shot rally at 15-15—the longest of the tournament to date—and served out the set in 50 minutes.
In the second set, de Minaur won his opening service game convincingly but faced four break points in his next game, eventually succumbing after a nine-minute battle.
De Minaur’s fiancée, Katie Boulter, was present in the stands, wearing an England shirt in tribute to the national team’s recent World Cup victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in the early hours.
De Minaur responded with grit and a more attacking approach, breaking back immediately and then securing a second break. His successful defense in a 23-shot rally elicited applause from the crowd. However, from 5-2 down, Cobolli won the next 11 points to level the set.
The tie-break proved pivotal. De Minaur was broken early but regained a point when Cobolli went long to make it 3-3. De Minaur appeared to have Cobolli on the ropes at the next point, but the 24-year-old Italian executed a precise cross-court shot after recovering to win the point.
De Minaur’s resolve seemed to falter, and his serve broke down twice as the tie-break slipped away.
In the third set, de Minaur broke immediately but was broken in the fourth game, only to break back quickly. There was a brief hope of a comeback. He saved three break points at 3-2, but a forehand error on the fourth allowed Cobolli to level again.
From that point, Cobolli dominated, winning 12 of the last 14 points, ending de Minaur’s Wimbledon campaign and Australia’s singles challenge for the year.
